Tank cooling device and air cooling device



Jan. 27, 1953 l.. LEFEVRE TANK COOLING DEVICE ANO AIR COOLING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet l Filed June '7, 1948 INVENTOR. aria @fel/f@ Jall- 27, 1953L.. LEFEVRE 2,625,791

TANK COOLING DEVICE AND AIR COOLING DEVICE Filed June '7, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

AT1-n E N EYE ETI Jan. 27, 1953 L. LEFEVRE TANK COOLING DEVICE AND AIRCOOLING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 7, 1948 R. m u o @v m WI M mfm wf ,m g I E. OO i I D y m J Jan. 27, 1953 LEFEVRE TANK cooLING DEvIcEAND AIR cooLING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.offiz L6/@wfg ATTE RNEYE Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE TANK COOLING DEVICE AND AIR COOLING DEVICE 1 Claim.

My present invention relates generally to the broad class of air andliquid Contact apparatus of the aerating and evaporating type employinga rotary air impeller utilizing a hollow shaft and submerged blast, andmore specifically to an improved cooling tank and air cooler which,while adapted for various purposes and uses, is especially designed forcreating and supplying a constant and uniform ow of ltered and chilledor refrigerated air currents.

The refrigeration set up by the appliance of my invention may beutilized not only for cooling of liquids contained within the coolingtank, which may be employed as a tank for transferring fish referred toin my prior Patent No. 2,187,746 of January 23, 1940, but the aircurrents discharged from the cooling tank of the appliance may also beutilized for various other purposes.

The appliance involving the water-cooling tank and air-cooler of myinvention includes a minimum number of parts that may be manufacturedwith facility and low cost of production, and the parts may be assembledwith convenience to constitute a simplied Iand durable structure thatmay be operated and maintained with comparatively low expense, and whichis highly efficient in the performance of its required functions.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be describedand more particularly set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete example of aphysical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined andarranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention. It will however beunderstood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be madein these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within thescope of my claim, without departing from the principles of myinvention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an appliance in which myinvention is physically embodied.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View at the top portion of theappliance, omitting the lid or cover; and

Figure 3 is a top plan of the appliance showing the funnel shaped lidwith its air intake, and indica-ting interior elements by dotted lines.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view just below the water level ofthe tank; and Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the appliancethrough the Dry-Ice chest or casing and showing the submerged rotaryaerator.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the appliance.

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the rotary tubularaerator impeller and agitating arms; and Figures 8, 9, and l0, arerespectively transverse sectional views on lines 8-8, 9 9, and lll-I0,in Fig. '7.

In carrying out my invention the appliance may be manufactured invarious sizes and Shapes, and of desirable materials, and in thedrawings I have illustrated an appliance of rectangular shape includingan exterior, open top jacket I having a dished bottom 2 that terminatesin an annular or cylindrical flange 3 forming a discharge outlet for theair currents after they have been refrigerated or chilled.

In some instances the top of the jacket may be left open, but as hereshown the jacket is equipped with a lid or cover 4 that is removable, orit may be hinged to the jacket to permit ready access to the interior ofthe appliance, and the lid or cover is fashioned with a four-fold flangeor collar 5 forming an intake funnel that depends a desired distanceinto the top portion of the appliance. As indicated by the arrows inFig. 1 currents of air are induced to flow through the funnel, with adown-draft through the jacket, and from the bottom of the jacket the aircurrents pass through the discharge outlet 3. In some instances thecirculating movement of the air currents may be reversed, and they areconducted by an updraft through the jacket from the bottom of the jacketand out through the top of the jacket.

Within the jacket is mounted a water tank 6 of substantially lessdimensions than the jacket to provide an evaporation chamber or airspace within the jacket and around and below the tank, and as seen inFig. 1 the upper open end of the tank projects upwardly and surroundsthe intake funnel 5 to provide an air space above the Water line W. L.in Fig. 1. Thus the air currents are drawn in through the funnel anddis-tributed in contact with the surface of the water in the tank, andthen the air flows upwardly over the top of the tank, and thencedownwardly as described.

The tank may be supplied with the desired quantity of water in suitablemanner, for vaerating and cooling, and the supply may be replenished `asrequired.

As indicated in Fig. 1 at l, the four Walls of the tank may beperforated, above the water level,

for use in the evaporative process carried out within the air chambersurrounding the tank. For the process of evaporation the exterior facesof the upright walls and the bottom of the tank are equipped with acasing 8 of suitable porous material, and the upper end 9 of thisevaporator casing overhangs the rim of the tank and extends downwardlywithin the tank and is submerged below the water level as indicated. Bycapillary attraction, and through the ports '1, the whole area of theportions 9 and 8 of the evaporator casing are impregnated with moisture,and the constantly moistened surfaces by evaporation chill the aircurrents as they flow in contact with the evaporating surfaces.

As a supplemental or auxiliary air cooler, a Dry-Ice chest I0, ofsubstantially rectangular shape may be interposed within the air-flowchamber in the path of air currents on their way to the bottom dischargeoutlet .3.

Supplemental moistening means may be utilized, if desirable, for theevaporating casing, as for instance a horizontally arranged andYperforated water tube II may be imbedded within the walls of theevaporator casing, and supplied with water through an inlet pipe I2 thatconveys the supply of water from a suitable source and is equipped withregulating and control valves.

The water, or liquid, within the tank is aerated by means of acirculating system, and air from a suitable source is introduced throughan upper supply pipe I3 that is connected with a horizontally disposed,tubular grid or radiator III of rectangular shape that is located abovethe water level of the tank and beneath the intake funnel,

and the grid or radiator is provided with an outlet downdraft air ductor tube I5 which passes through a wall of the evaporator casing, acrossbeneath the bottom of the tank, and merges with a return pipe or airduct I6 that rises to the top of the tank and terminates in anapproximately horizontal section I'I that is connected with a nozzle I8located along the vertic-al axis of the tank.

The air flow through these tubes Ais indicated by arrows in Fig. l, anda Ysuitable aerating appliance, such as illustrated in my abovementioned patent, is utilized for circulating the air and blowing theair into the water of the tank.

In the installation of the aerating appliance, the nozzle or fixture I3is equipped with a bearing bushing I9 in which the upper end of atubular, rotary, impeller shaft 20 is journaled to revolve, and thelower end of the shaft is journaled in a bearing 2I attached on theinterior of the tank bottom.

Near its lower end the tubular shaft is equipped with a pair or pairs ofduplicate reversely curved and horizontally disposed, tubular -airdistributing arms or blades 22 and 23 mounted with their inner ends inahollow coupling head 24 fixed on and communicating with the tubularshaft.

Each of these agitating and distributing arms is fashioned with anair-blast or outlet port, and the arms terminate in knife edges, as 26that cut through the water and form elongated kextensions of the outletsfor the airstreams issuing from the distributing arms.

The shaft 29 below the bearing 2I, extends through the bottom of thetank, and this extension is provided with a grooved sheave or pulley 21around which a belt 28 passes to the drive pulley 29 of an electricmotor 30 attached to one side of the jacket. The aerating appliance isthus operated to circulate the air and aerate the water in the tank, andthe tubular grid or radiator cools the incoming currents of air, the airflowing through the tubes I5 and I6 in the evaporator is also cooled inthe process of evaporation, and this cooling effect is supplemented bythe passage of the air tube I5 through the Dry- Ice chest I0.

The operating motor 30 also drives an exhaust fan 3| that is mounted onthe lower end of the impeller shaft 20, 4and the fan is located withinthe discharge outlet 3 in the bottom of the jacket, to induce thedowndraft now of the treated air currents, and discharge the cooled orchilled air currents to the desired destination or place of use, forcreating and maintaining a desired low temperature.

Various changes and alterations may be utilized, as for instance aclosed top may be provided for the tank, in which event ports may beprovided in the top for venting the tank in proportion to the :aeratingsupply that is introduced to the liquid or water in the tank; and theillustrated arrangement of the driving means for the aerator and theexhaust fan may also be varied to suit different conditions.

The appliance may also be employed in connection with anair-conditioning system for a refrigerator, a building and its rooms,and other spaces, where it is desired for humidifying, purifying, andcooling the air supplied to such spaces.

The appliance is thus equipped to set up refrigeration through rapidevaporation and thereby effectively reduce the temperature of water orother liquids, and the circulating air below atmospheric temperature,and these desired degrees of temperature may uniformly and constantly bemaintained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1n a circulating air cooler for an aerating tank, having a base withside walls in which an aerator is positioned, a porous jacket extendedover the outer surf-ace of said tank, over the upper edge thereof anddownwardly on the inner surface to a point below the water level of thetank, the improvement comprising an outer tank surrounding the rst tankand spaced therefrom and having an opening in the lower end, avertically disposed shaft journaled in the lower end of said rst tankfrom the inner end of which the said aerator is carried, an exhaust fanpositioned on the lower outer end of said shaft, and located in theopening in the lower end of the said outer tank, and means driving theshaft for rotating the said fan and aerator.

LORIN LEFEVRE.

REFERENCES CITED The .following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

